


It took some time

by griffonskies



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Dwarf Courting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-14
Packaged: 2018-05-06 16:47:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5424506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/griffonskies/pseuds/griffonskies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dwalin and Nori have been flirting for quite some time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It took some time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [applepieisworthit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/applepieisworthit/gifts).



Watching over the young ones on the road was a little problematic. A desolate air crashed down on all who had lived through dragon fire, their movements disheartened as they moved through field after field after forest. Stopping nowhere because no one would keep them. The few young that had survived where in the middle of the caravans, as safely tucked away from the outside world as they could be out in the open, and guarded fiercely. There was always someone there to guard but not always someone to guide, for every dwarrow able was finding work where they could and gathering provisions when able. That left the older children to watch over the youngest. Even the young prince was seen there, from time to time, though his duties left him absent more often than not. The somber mood of the adults keeping the young ones calm and quiet. There was little play and even less laughter. Usually.

Then there were days like this.

Fundin sighed again, half squirming under the glare of the Ri clan matriarch. Her oldest, Dori, standing besides her, arms crossed, glaring at Fundin’s youngest. Dwalin was besides his father, sulking, disheveled from his fight with the Ri youngest.

Nori was peaking over Dori’s shoulder every now and again, smirking, self satisfied, at Dwalin, then hiding behind Dori to giggle.

The other children were also giggling, telling and reselling their parents and guardians of the chase Nori led Dwalin on.

None of the grownups could keep a stern disposition in the face of this rare display of joy.

Even the king cracked a smile when he came to find out what the commotion was about.

 

\--------------------

 

Dwalin was seriously considering just not bothering anymore. There were coins left for the bolt of silk stolen, though the merchant hasn't figured that out yet; And Dwalin was not going to be the one to tell him that for the hundredth time. The thief was not so long gone as he was merrily waving down to Dwalin from the top of a cliff. The guard did not want to know how Nori had managed that with a bolt of cloth under his arm. It was almost a regular occurrence by now. Something gets stolen, mostly tea or cloth or books and paper, money left somewhere for the merchant to find, Dwalin _specifically_ was called for, he got there in time to chase Nori around a bit before the other escapes out of Dwalin's reach, then Nori stays long enough to wink at him and blow a few kisses before disappearing.

Dwalin’s life has gotten strange.

It does get an amused sound out of Thorin though. So Dwalin would consent to this game once or twice more.

Maybe a few more times.

What? It was good exercise!

 

\-------------------

 

“You!” Dwalin hissed, as quietly as he could.

Nori nodded seriously. “Me.”

“You-gah!” Dwalin wanted to scream, hands going to clutch at what little hair he had left. But he stayed quiet; wouldn't do to call Balin’s attention to him yelling at one of the few who had elected to follow Thorin on his mad quest. The disappointed stare and exasperated head shake of his brother would not be worth it. So here he is, in the fussy halflings mostly empty pantry - there were still some mushrooms left on that bottom shelf, he'll have to remember to take that - glaring at the thief while the others got the fest started.

“Yes, me.” Nori nodded again, clearly struggling not to laugh in Dwalin's face.

Dwalin growled, stepping forward to fist his hands in the others shirt. “What are you doing here thief?”

“Why, going on a quest of course! A little, curious, thing. You might have heard the King talking about it about a month ago? Surely you must have! You little puppy following him aro-“

“Not what I meant!”

“Why Dwalin!” Nori says in glee, bringing up his hands to pat at Dwalin’s cheeks. “I didn’t know you cared!”

“...I have told you already, stop using-Good Valar!” The halflings screeched as he came before the pantry, staring at them in shock. “In the pantry!? Have you no decency!?”

“What are you-?”

“Giver, have mercy!” The halfling says to his ceiling, wandering away muttering to himself something about lascivious dwarves.

Red faced, Dwalin and Nori were out of there quite fast, coughing and heading in opposite directions.

 

\---------------

 

_...and please accept my courting gift. For you are lovely and strong, oh how I desire your sword to clash with mine-_

 

He stopped reading there, looking at the candle holder, silver and delicate and elvish. Obviously stolen from the elven place they had stayed at; Dwalin thinks he remembers that one sitting on the dinner table. 

He sighed, he should throw it away into the rain for the stone Giants to trample on.

“Dwalin.”  
He quickly hid the candle holder into his pack before Thorin could see it.

Though he was a little sad to have lost his pack in the fall and cave crowl that followed…

 

\-------

 

“That idiot!” Dwalin yelled, throwing his hands in the air as he paced from one end of the skinchangers makeshift barn to the other.

“That he is.” Nori says seriously as he lights a pipe too big to be dwarf made.

“How did yo-” Dwalin straddles, looking to Nori who’s made himself comfortable leaning on the wall. “Do not call your King an idiot!”

Nori just serenely nods “Of course not.”

“That Mahal forsaken idiot-”

“He is.”

“He’s your King, show respect-”

“But not your King?”

“- he’s an idiot!”

“Well then~”

“-just charging like that, no backup. Could have waited and helped one of us up first, but _no_ -”

“Praise Bilbo.” Nori cheered in jest.

Dwalin just snorted. “The Halfling-”

“Bilbo, Hobbit.”

“-could have helped us up too, but no, he had to go and play hero-”

“Can't really blame him, it’s a good feeling-”

“-I lost your courting gift.”

“not to mention… what?”

Dwalin looked away in a sulk “You heard me...”

Nori blinks, “You...” and then he laughs. “Oh my poor stupid creature! Did you really think that mirror was your courting-”

“Mirror?”

“ah… the door stoper?”

“...the candle holder...”

Nori just bursts out laughing.

“That’s not funny.” Dwalin says quietly from hurt, having stepped forward to crowd the thief to the wooden wall.

“It’s in your pocket. Your courting gift.”

They stand a moment like that, just breathing together before Dwalin goes for his pocket. “Not that one.” Dwalin stops, then starts reaching for his other pocket. “Nu-uh.” Nori says again, smiling wider with each wrong answer. Finally Dwalin finds something in his left breast pocket, pulls it out and finds a small metal dwarf figurine; beautifully crafted, almost flowery in its design, most likely from Lord Elrond’s war strategizing set.

Dwalin blinks a few times at it, taking a deep breath to organise his thoughts, all the while Nori is just grinning innocently at him, lifting his eyebrow in a challenge. The bigger Dwarf launches forward, slamming them together, faces close - the wood gives away and they are falling through the wall. Fili and Kili, sitting on the grass outside, start yelling and backpedaling over the ground. “My eyes! How do I unsee this!?”

 

\--------------------------

 

The water bobs gently under the dock, the air crisp - it'll probably snow soon. The big house on the other side from the dock is lit up, humans and dwarves yelling in merriment.

“Why are you not celebrating with your One?” Thorin asks as he sits down by Dwalin.

“...at least I acknowledge him as my One.”

Thorin doesn't say anything to that for a few moments. Then snorts, “Took you a while though.”

Dwalin hits him in the shoulder, had Thorin not been a dwarf he'd be in the lake now. But the crownless King just chuckles.

 

\------------------

 

They all somehow live through the war that followed. Hurt and bruised but all fourteen alive. It takes Thorin almost half the year to stand in the throne room to receive his crown. The next day he's officiating a wedding. The present Dwarrow from the Iron Hills are confused as to why a guard and a thief are getting married, the Dwarrow from Ered Luin just smile mysteriously at them.

 

 


End file.
